Box and method of making same



Feb. 4, 1930. H; B, SMITH 1,745,385

I BOX AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Original Filed Jan. 12, 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 11v VENTOR Feb; 4,1930. H. Bi SMITH 1,745,385 r BOX AND METHOD OF MAKING S/AME originalviled Jan. 12,.1923 3 sham-sheet 3 ATTORNEYS L r 1 principles of the invention, and I contem- Patented Feb. 4, 1930 l iomrso sTATES PATENT oFFics H ARRY BRIDGMANSMITH, OF BROOKLYN, NEXV YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- iMENTS, TO HOAGUE-SPRAGUE CORPORATION, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, A COR- l I CPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS BOX Ann METHOD or MAKING SAME A Application filed January 12, 1923, Serial No. 612,170. Renewed September 24, 1926.

. My invention relates to methods of producing box blanks and boxes, conveniently described as continuous production methods, in

general conformity with previous box structures and methods of my invention, and also in general conformity with companion applications, executed on even date herewith.

The present application relates more particularly to the box end formation, and es pecially to the provision of a smooth and attractive box end finish in which every portion of the box shell or body material, including all edges, is covered and concealed by portions of the overlying cover paper with the exception that in one variation of the method and o I structure which is preferred in some cases,

thin s'ide edges of the shell end'wings are slightly, (more or less) exposed by reason of the fact that the adjacent edges of the cover paper are cut ofi flush with these shell edges in the formation of the blanks.

Incidental to the provision of a completely or approximately completely finished, smooth and attractive end structure, referred to above the invention includes process steps for reducing the thickness of marginal por trons of the shell end wings, these operations being conveniently described as skiving operations, properly co-ordinated with other operations of my continuous PIOLlLICUOIl method.

Various forms of boxes are here shown and f describedin order that the processes of production may be fully understood; but the blanks and boxes perse are disclosed and claimed in a divisional application.

The characteristics and advantages of the invention are further sufiiciently described in connection with a detail description of the ac- -compa'nying drawings, which explain certain representative performances of the process or method. After considering these examples,

a persons skilled in the at will understand that many variations may be made within the plate the employment ofany methods and scope of the appended claims.

Figure lisa perspective View sufiiciently illustrating the process in one form, up to the point where the individual blanks are severed.

FigureQ is a detail View explaining the skiving operation.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section of the shell web at a point subsequent to the routing and skiving operations.

Figure 1 is a detail view in section, showinga slitting operation.

Figure 5 is a perspective View of a severed individual blank. I

Figure 6 is a perspective viewof one end of a completed box produced from the blank, Fig. 5, with end and side portions in section.

Figure "7 is an enlarged horizontal section through the completed box at one corner.

Figure 8 is a perspective view illustrating a modification of the processes.

Figure 9 is a'bcttom plan of the materials in the course of operations in conformity with F 8 fromthe point of cover assembly contact to the point of individual blank cut-oil.

Figure 10 is an enlarged sectional detail of the shell web after the routing and skiving Figure 16 is an enlarged section in a horizontal box.

Figure 17 is a plan view of one end of a complete box blank showing a style of embossing.

Figure 18 is a section of the same.

In the process as exemplified in Fig.1 a continuous strip or web of suitable box body or shell material 1 is advanced from a roll 2 plane of one corner of the completed and at a suitable point longitudinal fold linesv 3 are produced in any suitable way. Parperspective view of the comis reduced in thickness by any suitable means on substantially rectangular areas extending inward from the longitudinal fold lines.

This operation is conveniently described as ,Fig. 3.

skiving and may be performed by grinding wheels 5 driven at suitable speed and arranged on oscillating carriers 6 which may be operated at proper intervals by mechanism such as cam mechanism? to bring the wheels in contact with the advancing web and pro duce the skived or beveledar'eas 8. This operation, however performed, is for the purpose of reducing the thickness of the shell material along certain edges which are sub sequently produced by cutting l'oi punching operations, and most desirably thecutting or removal of material is on an angular or beveled plane in the transverse direction of the blank, so as to gradually reduce the thickness of the material in outward directions. The formation of the shell web including the longitu'dinal fold channels 3 andthe skived or beveled areas 8, is most clearly shown in Inord'er toprovide for free or projecting cover end wing margins in one particular forin of boX, central rectangular openings 10 are cut or punched in the shell material, these openings usually extending all the way from one longitudinal fold line to the other, and concurrently, or otherwise before or after the openings 10 are punched, longitudinal slots 11 are produced in the blank, these being usiially commensurate with the width of the fold lines and of a suitable length extending in both directions from the central openings 10 to correspond to the desired end wing length of the completed box-blank. By this operation thin longitudinal freeedg'es 12 are produced in the shell material at the inner sides of the slots 11.

In the further advance'of the shell material transverse fold lines 14 are produced,

and, desirably these are relatively deep gathered folds in the production of which the shell material is more or less broken down so that it will fold properly with the applied cover material without unduly straining or breaking, the cover material when the individual blanks are folded. In some cases these transverse fold lines may be, formed after the cover materialis applied, and in general iti's to be understood that the order of operations may be varied considerably, andthere is no limitation as to the order of operations except in cases where the particu-- lar operation must necessarily or'most adthe sake of clearness.

performed after the pert A continuous strip or web of suitable cover paper 15 isadvance'd from a roll 16, and desirably during its advance toward the point of contact with theshell webthis pap'erissuitably treated to provide upon its desired indicia or designs, and in the present specific example this treatment of the cover paper consists in embossing it. the cover web is passed between co-operating embossing rolls l7 and 18, carrying suitable embossing dies or surface conformations 19 to produce a suitable embossed design 20 upon the cover paper, and this may be in a particular eziainple a panel of suitable For this purpose indic'ia'oi decorative subject matter, to be located on a stated area of the completed be part, such as the top or bottom area of the box part, or oneof the end or side panels,

or otherwise the embossed design may e3 tend more or less 'over the'entire surface of the cover paper, one suitable all-over embossed design being sufiiciently exemplified in Figures 17 and 18. a

The coverweb isthen passed over a glue roll 21 and is then brought in contact with the shell web and pressed thereon, an upper pressing roll 22 being shown for this purpose in Fig. 2, this roll of course co-operating with a lower pressing roll, which is omitted for a Desirably the cover web is of such width that it has margins 24 projecting beyond the edges of the shell web, and these margins are folded over and pressed on under marginal surfaces of the shell web by pressing rolls 26 and 27. Glued cover paper then overlies the apertures 10 "and llpreviously produced in the same web.

In the further advance of the assembled material slits 28 are formed in the cover paper approximately centrally of the shell slots 11, and these slits are of substantially the same length as the' slotsQ The slitting operations may be performed by rotary slitting wheels 30 as best explained in Fig.

These slitting operations are forthe purpose of severing thecover paper to divide the cover corner laps from the cover end wings.

In the further advance of the continuous assembly, portions are cut from itat regular intervals along the straight transverse lines 35, Fig. 1,produc1ng lndivldual'blank assemwings, and shell end wings (Z having skive'd' or beveled marginal portions 8 with the thin edges 12 produced: in the'manner previously blies B, Fig. 5, each consisting of combined shell and cover material and ncluding a cen end wing end margins 6 extending beyond the endsof the shell end wings and narrow cover I margins f projecting alongsidethe thin shell "edges 12, these covermargins e and f being supplied with adhesive which remains fresh or tacky during the rapidly performed process operations, and the blankalsousually includes narrow cover marginal portions 9 at the opposite sides of the slits 28 to the marginal portions 7, these margins 9 extending alongside the inward edges h of the shell corner laps. The cover margins g are usually immaterial or superfluous but they are usually produced as an incident to the production'ofthe desired margins The width of the margins 9 may be reduced to practically any desired extent or they may be substantially eliminated by making the slits 28 ascloseas is convenient or desirable to the shell edges h. The margins g, however, when produced in the manner 'described, are unob- .jectionable and in the completed box they lie along central portionsofthe transverse fold lines or creases 14 and are more or less, or entirely concealed from view. 1

f The blank is now folded into box form b any suitable number ofintermediate opera- .tions or steps as suficiently indicated in Fig. 13 in which the same style of box is produced with the exception of a slight difference in the end wing side edge formation. In the folding process the sidewin gs b are turned up, the

cornerlaps c are turned in, the end wings cl 1 the corner laps, and finally the pro ecting are turned up against the outer surfaces of oover mar ins e, coated with adhesive as above described, are turnedin and pressed against inward margins of the corner laps and the adhesively coated narrow cover margins f are presseddown and adhesively secured to outer surfaces of the corner laps along thev vertical corners of the box, Fig. 6,

. I "completely, covering and concealing the'thin skivedshell edges 12.v Thesloping or graduated skiving or beveling' of'the shell margins adjacent to the edges 12 moreover provides H for a. substantially; smooth and unbroken outer box end surface. The adhesive application of the cover margins in the described manner is sufiicient inmany cases toretain the box end structure in permanent form, but

when necessary or desirable additional ad "hesive may be supplied to the outer surfaces of the corner laps c or to, the inner surfaces of the shell end wings d, and this adhesive application may be made at any convenient pointin. the process operations either before the materials are severed from the continuous Web or after severing. i,

In the precedmg example of the process a great many of the operations, and all of the 3 operations performed upon the shell material, were performed previous to assembly contact, and especially the narrow strips of cuttingoperat-ions to remove the longitudinal strips are performed afterassembly contact, and therefore, are necessarily performed upon the combined materials, and these figures also illustrate other variations consisting in the formation of transverse fold lines or creases after assembly contact so that the crimping or pressing operations which form the creases are formed on the cover material along with the shell material.

In this performance of the process the shell web 1 is advanced and the longitudinal fold lines in the form of channels 3 are produced by routers l, and at a suitable point skiving wheels 5 produce beveled or skived surfaces 40, Figures 8 and 10, the beveled surfaces 40 merging. in a transverse direction of the blank into the surfaces 41 which constitute the bottomsof the folding channels. In the further advance of the web, central portions are cut or punched out to form openings 10, as in the previous example, but longitudinal slotting of the material along the fold lines is omitted. The cover web 15 is then applied spectively, exposed along the inner edges of the slots. The blank is then severed by transverse cutting as previously shown producing individual blank assemblies B, Fig.

12, which maybe substantially identical with the previous blank assembly except for the formations adjacent to the slots 50. The

blank is folded'into box form by any suitable number of intermediate operations or stages, as sufliciently explained in Fig. 13, with or without the supply of additional adhesive as explained in connection with the previous example, producing the completed box as shown in Figures 14, 15 and 16, having all the characteristics of the previously described structure including completely coveredexterior surfaces and shell edges, and with margms ofthe cover paper applied all around the lnner margins of the side and end walls, except, as a significant difference from the previous structure, the thin edges 5170f the shell end wings are slightly, (more or less) exposed. The skiving operation may be performed so as to make the material along these edges'as thin as may be practicable or' desirable; in other words, the exposed edge portions; including cover material and shell 51 may be so thin that it is practically unnoticeable and indistinguishable from the 7 adjacent superposed edge of the cover material, or otherwise whe'n'it is not practicable to skive the material so deeply, this edge may be somewhat thicker and more noticeable'and this exposure of the edge of the cover material of moderate thickness is unobjectionable in many classes of boxes.

In this particular form of the invention it is usually desirable to supply adhesive at least along the skived surfaces ofthe shell, or on surfaces of the corner laps which will correspond to these skived surfaces when applied. The roughened, skived surfaces of the shell material readily adhere to the corner laps and these surfaces, and especially their edges, are easilypressed down and held in secure engagement so that the edge finish of the box is very secure and durable.

The embossing operation previously described may be carried out in connection with the process as shown in Figures 8 to 16, or the embossing may be omitted, in accordance with requirements.

Figures 17 and 18 illustrate one form of all-ove'r embossing, wherein a mottled or pebbled appearance is imparted to the cover paper 15 by suitable embossing rollers as in Figure 1. When such an all-over? einbossecl design is produced upon the cover material, it is important in the subsequent creasing or folding operations, to avoid injuring the embossed finish, and for thatreason the transverse creases 14 are desirably formed in the shell material before'assembly contact,

in Figure 1, Without any necessity for creasing the combined materials including the cover paper, which would injure or alter the appearance of the embossed paper along the'creased lines.

I claim: I

1. A method of producing box blank assemblies comprising associating and securing a continuous web of cover material and a continuous web of shell material in facial contact, producing longitudinal fold lines in the shell web, reducing the thickness of the shell web at intervals adjacent to the longitudinal fold lines, and severing the combined materials transversely at regular intervals, to produce individual box-blanks. 1

2. A method or producingbox blank assemblies,fcomprising associating continuous web of cover material and a, continuous web of shell material in facial'contact with interposed adhesive, producing longitudinal fold lines in the shell web, reducing the thickness of portions of the shell web at intervals adjacent to the longitudinal"fold lines, producing individual blank formations in the continuous materials including severing them transversely at regular intervals to produce individual blanks having end wing material with margins of reduced thickness produced in the thickness-reducing operation above mentioned.

A method of producing bOX blank a's- T" semblies comprising associating a "continuous web of cover material and acontinuous webof shell material in facial contact with interposed adhesive, producinglongitudinal fold channels in the shell web, skiving the shell on 7 one side to reduce the thickness of portions of thesliell web atintervals adjacent to the longitudinal fold lines, and producing individual lank formations in the continuous materials 'includingsevering them transversely at i'eg- 1 ular intervals to produce individual blanks having end wing portions including cover material and shell material with margins of reduced thickness produced in the thickness reducing operation above mentioned, I

l." A method ofproduciiig boxes, comprising associating and securing a continuous web of cover material and a continuous web of shell material in facial contact, producing longitudinal fold lines in theshell web, re-

ducing the thickness of the shell web at intervals adjacent to the longitudinal fold lines, severing the combined material transversely at regular intervals, to produce individual box-blanks, and folding the blanks into box formwith shell-wing portionsof reduced thickness adhesively secured along gitudinal fold lines, producingindividual outer surfaces of the box end structure to produce a substantially smoothe'xterior bOX end l;

blank formations in the continuous materials including severing them transversely at regular intervals to produce individual blanks having end wing portions including cover material and shell material with margins of reduced thickness produced in the thicknessreducing operation above mentioned, and

folding the blanks into boxfform with the 'shell-endwing portions of reduced thickness adhesively secured along outer surfaces of the box end structure to produce a substantially smooth exterior'cover' end finish.

6. A methodoi' producing boxes, COIDPIIS- ing associating a continuous web of cover material and a continuous web ofshell material in facial contact with interposed adhesive, i

producing longitudinal fold channels in the shell web, skiving the shell on one side to reduce the thickness of portions of the shell web at intervals adjacent tothe longitudinal fold lines, producing individual blank formations in the continuous materials including severproduced in the thickness reducing operation above mentioned, and folding the blank into box form with the shell-end-wing portions of reduced thickness adhesively secured along outer surfaces of the box end'structure to produce a substantially smooth exterior cover end finish.

7.-A continuous box blank production method including the steps of advancing a continuous web of shell material, producing longitudinal fold lines therein, removing portions of theshell material at, intervals adjacent to the longitudinal fold lines to producesloplng or beveled end wingmargins of individual blanks, adhesively applying a continuous Web of cover material to the shell web, forming transverse fold lines, cutting the cover material longitudinally adjacent the shell portions of; reduced thickness above mentioned,and severing the combined mate rials at regular intervals to produceindivid u'al blank assemblies. I

8. A continuous box blank production method comprising advancing a continuous web of shell material, routing out the shell materialon one face in parallel lines to produce longitudinal fold channels, cutting out sections of the shell materialbetween the fold channels at intervals, cutting narrow longitudinal strips from the shell material sub- 'stantially in line with the longitudinal chan nels, beveling marginal portions ofthe shell material adjacent to the aforesaid cut-out locations, applying a continuous Web of adhesively coated cover material to a surface of the shell web, slitting the cover material along lines substantially corresponding to the cut-out strips above mentioned, and severing the continuous assembly at regular intervals to produce individual blanks.

' 9. A continuous box blank production method comprising advancing a continuous web of shell material, forming longitudinal fold lines therein, skiving the shell material at intervals adjacent to the fold lines. forming apertures in the shell material in substantially centered relation to the skived areas, forming narrow longitudinal slots in the shell web substantially co-extensive with the fold lines and of substantially the same length as the skived areas, advancing a continuous web of cover material and applying it adhesively to a surface of the shell web, slitting the cover material on lines substan tially corresponding to the longitudinal slots above mentioned, forming transverse fold lines, and cutting off the combined materials at regular intervalsto produce individual box blanks.

,10. A continuous box blank production method comprising the steps of associating a continuous web of shell material and a con tinuous web. of cover material in facial contact with interposed adhesive, pressing the materials-to produce longitudinal and transverse fold lines, producing skived areas on an outward face of the shell material adjacent to the longitudinal fold lines and narrow lon itudinal slots alongside the skived areas Wlierebythin free edges of the shell material are produced corresponding to edges of the shell end wings in the completed blank assemblies; and severing the combined materials transversely at regular intervals to produce the individual assemblies.

11.- A continuous box production method including the steps of advancing a continuousweb of shell material, producing longitudinal fold lines therein, removing portions of the shell material at'intervals adjacent to the longitudinal fold lines to produce sloping or beveled endwing margins of individual blanks, adhesively applying a continuous web of cover material to the shell web, forming transverse fold lines, cutting the cover material longitudinally adjacent to the shell portions of reduced thickness above mentioned, severing the combined materials at regular intervals to produce individual blank assemblies, and folding and securing the individual blanks in box form.

12. A continuous box production method comprising advancing a continuous web of shell material, routing out the shell material on one face in parallel lines to produce longitudinal fold channels, cutting-out sections of the shell material between the fold channels at intervals, cutting narrow longitudinal strips from the shell material substantially in line with the longitudinal channels, beveling marginal portions of the shell material adjacent to the aforesaid cut-out locations, applying a continuous web of adhesively coated cover material to a surface of the shell web, slitting the cover material along lines substantially corresponding to the cut-out strips above mentioned, severing the continuous assembly at regular intervals to produce individual blanks, and folding and securing the individual blanks in box form. 13. A continuous box production method comprising advancinga continuous web of shell material, forming longitudinal fold lines therein, skiving the shell material at intervals adjacent to the fold lines, forming apertures in the shell material in substantially centeredrelation to the skived areas, forming narrow longitudinal slots in the shell web substantially co -extensive with the fold lines and of substantially the same length as the skived areas, advancing a continuous web of cover material and applying a it adhesively to a surface of the shell web,

slitting the cover material on lines substanabove mentioned, forming transverse fold,

, vidual blanks in box form.

. 14. A continuous box production method comprising the steps of flSSOClELtlIlg a continuone web of shell material and a continuous web" of cover material in facial contact with,

interposed adhesive, producing longitudinal and transverse fold lines in the materials, producing skivedareas on an outward face of the shell material adjacent to the longitudinal fold lines and narrow longitudinal slots alongside the skived areas whereby thin free edges of the shell material are produced corresponding to edges of the shell end wings in the completed blank assemblies, severing the combined materials transversely at regular intervals to produce the individual assemblies, and folding and securing the individual blanks in box form. r

15, A method of producing box blanks comprising the steps of forming ina sheet of box shell material longitudinal slotssub-. stantially in line with fold lines, applying'a sheet of cover material to one face of the shell sheetand securing it adhesively, and severing the cover material substantially centrals ly of the shell slotsto provide cover margins foldable over adjacent shell edges.

16. A method of producing box blanks comprising steps of forming in a sheet of box shell material longitudinal slots substantially in line with fold lines, applying a sheet of cover material to one face of the shell sheet and securing it adhesively, severing the cover material substantially centrally of the shell slots to provide cover margins foldable over adjacent shelledges, and creasingand shaping the blank for folding. v V

17. A method of producing box blanks, comprising advancing a continuous web of shell material, forming narrow longitudinal slots therein in line with wing-folding lines, applying cover paper to oneside of the shell web and over the slots and adhesively'securing the cover paper, slittingthe cover mabinedmaterials transversely at regular intervals to produce individual box blanks. V

19. A method of producing composite box blanks including sheet shell and cover material and having a body section and wings projecting therefrom, said method compris-' ing reducing the thickness of certain of the shell wing margins and slotting the shell material adjacent the zones of reduced thicke ness-to provide free cover margins projecting beyond the shell edges for smooth, flat adhesive application to other portions of the blank when itis formed into a box part.

20. A method 'of producing box blanks comprising producing wing formationsin a sheet of shell material, reducing the thickness of certain of the wing margins, applying sheet covermaterial to a face of the shell, and cutting the sheet material on lines adj acent the shell .wing zones of reduced thickness to provide'thin blank edges for smooth,

fiat adhesive application to other portions of the blank in the complete box part,

21. A method of producing box blanks comprising slotting a sheet of shell material to provide blank wing formations having substantially separated adjacent edges, reducing the thickness of certain ofthe wing margins acent the slots, applying a sheet of cover material to one faceof the shell. with portions overlying the slots, and severing cover material on lines adjacent the shell edges of reduced thicknessto provide free cover margins for adhesive application to other blank surfaces when the blank is formed intoabox part. V i I Signed at New York city in the county of New York and Stateof New York this'20th day of December A. D. 1922. V

HARRY BRIDGMAN SMIIH.

terial overlying the shell'slots on lines subshell material, forming narrow longitudinal.

slots therein in line with wing fold line s, applying cover paper to one side of the shell web and over the slots and adhesively securing the cover paper, producing longitudinal and transverse fold lines to define wing formations, slitting the cover material overly- 'ing the shell slots on lines substantially centrail of the slot widths, and severing the com 

